Lebanon travel warning: Smartraveller urges Australians to leave after pager blasts sparks fear of retaliation

Smartraveller has issued an updated warning for Australians not to travel to Lebanon in the aftermath of pager explosions that killed at least nine and injured thousands more.

“We continue to advise that Australians do not travel to Lebanon due to the volatile security situation and the risk of the security situation deteriorating further,” Smartraveller said in an update on Wednesday.

“There were thousands of pager explosions in Lebanon on 17 September which have resulted in deaths and serious injuries.

“Hospitals are reportedly treating high numbers of casualties, and some may be overwhelmed.”

Smartraveller, part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has told Australians “Do not travel to Lebanon” since October 2023.

Since the advice was issued, serious escalations have continued to impact the troubled region and multiple updates urging Australians to ‘leave immediately’ have been issued.

As of August, around 15,000 Australians were still in Lebanon.

The government department has told Australians to “leave immediately while commercial flights remain available”.

“The security situation could deteriorate rapidly throughout Lebanon with little or no notice.

“Some airlines have postponed or cancelled some flights.

“Further flight cancellations and disruptions could occur with little or no notice. You should take the first available flight and not wait for a preferred route.”

Flight did not appear seriously impacted in the immediate aftermath of the deadly blasts, however, with retaliation expected, this could change rapidly.

“Beirut airport could close, and you may be unable to leave for an extended period,” Smartraveller said.

“Airlines may cancel more flights or set high ticket prices for any remaining flights.”

Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary condemned the detonation of the pagers — devices that Hezbollah and others in Lebanon used to send messages — as an “Israeli aggression”.

Hezbollah said Israel would receive “its fair punishment” for the blasts.

The New York Times has reported that American officials now say Israel is responsible for the attack, that they carried out through a long-spanning operation lasting months.

It claimed the Gold Apollo pagers, orderd from Taiwan, had been tampered with before they reached Lebanon and were distributed to Hezbollah militants.

Israel is yet to take responsibility for the attacks.

If you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident in Lebanon, you can register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s crisis registration portal.

- With Reuters